


The Hikari Photo Studio

by QSF



Series: Crossroads [4]
Category: Kamen Rider Decade, Kamen Rider Kuuga
Genre: M/M, Multi, Tumblr Request Fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-06
Updated: 2014-07-06
Packaged: 2018-02-07 15:43:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,840
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1904601
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/QSF/pseuds/QSF
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When dimensions fuse and collide, sometimes you end up with extended families and relatives you'd rather not be a part of. Especially when part of said extended family once tried to take over the multiverse.</p><p>Ichijou's first meeting with (most of the) crew of the Hikari Photo Studio. It is set in the same universe as my Kuuga and Decade fics, around a decade after the end of Kuuga, and right before Super Hero Taisen.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Hikari Photo Studio

**Author's Note:**

> Tumblr prompt: Ichijo, while searching for Godai, happens upon the DCD-crew. How does he feel about them? Up to you if you want to include Kaitou as well or not.

  
_A human monster clad in pink and black._  That had been Ichijou’s first impression, as he stepped back and Godai ran forward, Kuuga’s armour rippling over him as the misty portal behind the would-be conqueror of worlds released another horde of creatures. Raising his rifle, he watched Kuuga charge into the horde through the scope. The pink and black monster waited at the back like he did. Waiting for the outcome before they interfered.  


_A man not worthy of forgiveness._  That had been Ichijou’s second impression and by then he had a name to match the face; Tsukasa Kadoya. He had a name to put to the monsters that had invaded their world; Dai Shocker. Monsters and humans in alliance, set to invade and/or destroy all realities. At the time, neither of them had been sure what their aim had been, and even now, Ichijou was not certain what had been accomplished. They were still here, which he supposed was something.

Ichijou really would have liked it if his third impression had been a better one. Godai had spoken so fondly of the alternative Kuuga he had met, his almost brother from another world. And he had to admit that this Yuusuke (Onodera, not Godai) was someone he could easily grow fond of. It was the man hovering at the back of the room that was the issue. As always.

Kadoya Tsukasa was a hero now. Or so they said. He had sacrificed himself to save the worlds, and how he had survived (or come back to life) nobody was really sure. He had been expected to die. That had been the plan that they had finally agreed on. Sacrifice one villain to save all of reality. It was a harsh choice, but a sensible one. Someone had interfered though, and Ichijou suspected either Wataru or Ryotaro. They both had access to what could only been called time travelling devices, and they were both far more naïve than they should be. They thought that everyone could change. Deserved a second chance. Ichijou was not so sure.

“No, Godai hasn’t been here,” Yuusuke said with a frown, the short Rider (So young, Godai had been five years older when they had first met) looking up on him with a look on his face that spoke half of awe, half of pain. “Which is weird now that you say it, he usually shows up when the shop takes us past your world.”

“Annoyingly true,” Tsukasa said, leaning nonchalantly against the wall. “I don’t know how he knows.” His smile was sharp. Like a shark’s.

In the flash of a smile Ichijou was back on the battlefield of the first invasion, back among the smoke and stench of acrid alien blood.

… _It had been nearly a decade since Ichijou and Godai last faced anything this big, but this world was dangerous enough that neither of them had allowed themselves to get rusty. The creatures themselves had not bothered Ichijou, Kuuga had beaten worse odds in the past, but he had not liked the look of that black and pink armour. Nor the way its wearer stood back and observed, unfazed by his minions defeat until he finally pulled out a card and his armour shimmered and changed around him._

_Black wrapped in neon tubing, armour that had reminded Ichijou of nothing as much as a stylized shark, wielding weapons of light. Godai… no, Kuuga had paused briefly when the metallic voice of the shark armour announced something, bracing himself for an unknown attack. Shifting aim, Ichijou had cursed inwardly as the shark-like armour turned into a blur before he could get a shot off…So super speed it was._

“The amadam.” Yuusuke’s voice brought Ichijou back to the present. The young rider patted his stomach lightly. “It… sort of tingles, if that makes sense? We are aware of each other when we’re in the same city.”

“I’m not sure I like the sound of that,” Tsukasa pushed away from the wall, sauntering up behind Yuusuke, wrapping an arm around him possessively. “I like it better when I make your amadam tingle.”

“It’s not like that,” Yuusuke protested loudly, cheeks flushed. “It’s just that they’re related.”

Related. Ichijou brought his hand to his face, pressing two fingers against the bridge of his nose hard. Two Kuugas hardly made the world safer. And neither did the man running his hand over Yuusuke’s midriff.

… _The attack had hit Kuuga in the stomach hard enough to knock him to the ground, but red rippled into dusty purple, and the next too fast to see blow had skidded off the heavy armour. Ichijou was used to Godai’s shifting forms, but this invader had transformed more completely than he had ever seen before. It was as if another warrior had taken his place entirely. Kuuga had dug in and weathered the blows until the shark had pulled back for a more powerful attack, giving Godai a split second to react. Purple had flashed to blue, and though it was too fast for Ichijou to see, the sword turned staff, landing a hard blow in return that had sent the invader skidding across the ground, shifting back to pink and black. With a grim look on his face, Ichijou waited for his moment._

How many times had he done that? Watched Godai from afar, forcing himself not to reveal his hand until he knew that the card he played would make a difference? Patiently watching the man he cared too much for taking blow after blow? Refusing to let it bother him?

“Can you sense him now, then?” Ichijou asked, still keeping his face carefully neutral because he had finally realized who it was that Tsukasa reminded him of. B-1. The Grongi… queen? He wasn’t sure what her role had been, but he got the same sense of danger wrapped in grace from the man that stood there behind Yuusuke, smiling politely but coldly at him. He was not any less dangerous without his armour.

“I… can’t?” Yuusuke frowned, shaking off Tsukasa’s arm so he could focus. “I don’t think he’s in Tokyo. Maybe not even Japan.”

“I see.” Ichijou looked away for a moment, trying to process the implications. Godai had left a note that he was visiting the Hikari studio, and that he thought Ichijou should drop by when he got off work. Had he just never appeared here? Or were they lying? Yuusuke did not give that impression, but Tsukasa on the other hand…

… the blow came out of nowhere, causing Ichijou to stumble back, his gun in his hand before he had time to take in what had happened.

Blood. He tasted blood. Tsukasa had hit him, and now he stood rubbing his fist, looking entirely too cavalier about the whole thing.

“I owed you that one.” The voice was cold and arrogant, just like Ichijou remembered. “I punched another woman in your stead once, sorry about that Yuusuke, but I’ve been itching to do this.”

“Tsukasa!” Yuusuke looked back and forth between Ichijou and his…. lover. Lover? Yes, probably. “Why did you do that?”

“I have my memories back now,” Tsukasa said, pushing Yuusuke out of the way with arrogant flourish. “And I remember that I really don’t like you, detective.”

“The feeling is mutual.” Ichijou kept his gun trained on the Rider, ignoring the faint drip of blood from his nose.

“Do you really think that thing would stop me, detective?” Tsukasa grinned at the gun, the decadriver appearing in his hand as if by magic.

“I think that thing is worthless if you can’t put a card in it,” Ichijou retorted calmly with a nod at the decadriver, watching the other man for sudden movements.

…  _The next time the black and pink invader had reached for a card, he had shot it out of his hand, leaving Godai an opening to land a blow. Two blows. Another card, another shot, and Ichijou had held his ground when the sword turned into a gun, sending several shots his way before Godai tackled the invader to the ground. The shots had missed, though one had come close enough to tear through his coat, but he had not looked away from his target. Another card. Another shot. By now the invader had been moving with frustrated energy, stumbling back from Kuuga. The misty portal had appeared again, and for a moment Ichijou had been certain the invader would retreat._

_He had been wrong. Instead more creatures had flooded through, stronger this time, bringing Kuuga to the ground until the flames leapt to life. Black and gold wreathed in flames. He remembered stepping back, his rifle still following the pink and black invader, ready for any attack, willing himself to trust Godai. He remembered feeling the heat, but not daring to look at the Kuuga he now knew was striding through the creatures, more monster than any of the ones sent against him. He remembered watching the invader pull out another card, missing the shot this time as one of the creatures intercepted the bullet. He remembered watching patterns of light swirl to life on the ground as the invader, now swathed in black and gold like an inversion of Kuuga himself strode through the fire before leaping into the sky. Kuuga jumped to meet him._

“Stop it you two!” Yuusuke stepped between them, holding out his arms in protest, his back to Tsukasa, facing Ichijou. “We are all on the same side here, and we all want to find Godai, right?”

“Not particularly,” Tsukasa muttered, but he lowered the decadriver with a sullen pout that made Ichijou realize that for all his power, the former great leader of Dai Shocker was really little more than a punk kid.

“My apologies.” Ichijou sighed and holstered the gun, pushing back the memories of battle. Judging by the relieved look on Yuusuke’s face it had been the right call. He could see why Godai was so fond of the kid; he wore his heart on his sleeve.

Just like Godai had learned not to do.

…  _The resulting explosion when Kuuga and the invader had clashed had knocked Ichijou unconscious. When he came to, he was in a hospital bed, the invasion was in disarray with the loss of their leader, and Godai’s smile was brittle again. Ichijou could forgive many things, but not someone that had brought Godai so close to the darkness that nested inside him._

Did the same darkness live inside this kid? Did Tsukasa make it better or worse?

“See?” Yuusuke made a quick dash for some paper towels and water that he handed to Ichijou to clean up his nose. “You should be nicer to him, Tsukasa, he’s this world’s Yashiro after all.”

“So?” The word was a challenge, but nobody rose to it, which seemed to annoy Tsukasa even more.

Ichijou frowned a little as he cleaned up the bloody nose, watching the quick, nervous little glances Tsukasa cast in Yuusuke’s direction when he thought nobody was looking. So that was how it was. They were indeed a couple, and if this Yashiro was to him, what Godai was to Yuusuke, then the punch hadn’t just been old debts unpaid. Had Yuusuke loved his Yashiro? Most likely from the way the young Rider looked at him. And Tsukasa did not approve. Love? Or just jealousy? The difference between a man and a monster, and Ichijou still reserved judgement on that.

Because he trusted his instincts. And his instincts screamed danger, and that the man in front of him was hiding something. There was that brief hesitation when Yuusuke looked away, the face growing cold and numb, only to return to the caustic sneer when he caught on that Ichijou was watching.

“Is there something on my face, detective?”

Ichijou just kept his eyes on the other man, shaking his head. It was no use telling Yuusuke that he suspected that Tsukasa might be less trustworthy than he made himself out to be. Because honestly, he had nothing to go on except a hunch, and Yuusuke was obviously in love and blind to any truth. The door rattled open loud enough that the three of them almost jumped.

“I can’t believe how… Tsukasa? Yuusuke?” Natsumi froze to a halt, looking between the three men. She frowned faintly, the small white bat fluttering around her hand. “Are we having a fight, or should I put on coffee?”

“Coffee, definitely coffee!” Yuusuke looked like a stone had fallen from his chest. “It’s just Tsukasa being Tsukasa, and oh, you haven’t met him yet!” The short rider nearly bounced over to her, tugging her over to Ichijou with an almost proud look on his face. “It’s Godai’s Yashiro!”

“But…” Her gaze was warm but wary, and Ichijou felt more than a little self-conscious as she looked him over. “He’s a man? Godai never said that.”

“Yashiro was a woman?” Ichijou couldn’t stop the words coming out of his mouth, because while he could see the similarity between his Godai and this other Yuusuke, the thought that somewhere among the worlds had been himself as a… woman was a bit too much to process.

“Most versions of you are. Hiding something you don’t want to show us, detective?” Tsukasa’s voice was a razor wrapped in velvet, and he sauntered over to drape both his arms around the other two. One over Natsumi’s shoulders, the other around Yuusuke’s, claiming them both with all the subtlety of one of the great cats.

“Tsukasa!” Natsumi snapped, holding up her thumb, something which made Tsukasa jump back with a look of inexplicable worry on his face.

“I’m sorry,” Yuusuke said again, and Ichijou sighed and tried not to see a younger, more earnest Godai there but it was a lost cause.

“It’s fine. I’m Kaoru Ichijou, a pleasure to meet you.” He bowed briefly at Natsumi, who returned the gesture. Yuusuke did the same a moment later, but with more enthusiasm.

“Natsumi Hikari,” she said with a thoughtful look at Ichijou. “My grandfather owns this studio.”

“Yuusuke Onodera, but you knew that already.” Yuusuke shrugged free of Tsukasa. ”And sometimes Kaito is here too, but not right now.”

“He left this morning,” the little white bat piped up “With Godai. Aren’t you going to introduce me to the handsome detective, Yuusuke?”

“Oh, I’m sorry Kivara, Mr Ichijou, this is Kivara, she is also staying here.” The little bat fluttered in front of Ichijou’s face, and he saw to his confusion that it had eyelashes.

“A pleasure to meet you,” he said reflexively, only then adding up what she had said. “Godai was here then?”

“Yes,” the little bat assured. “Early. Before the others were up. He talked a bit with Daiki and then they left together.”

“Talked?” Tsukasa’s voice held the worry that Ichijou was supressing. Whoever this Daiki was, he must care for him as well.

“I got the impression that Godai was looking for something, and he needed help from someone who could cross the dimensions.”

“Not you then?” Yuusuke had caught the little bat and was scratching her back while Natsumi was serving coffee. Tsukasa had draped himself over one of the chairs as if it had been a throne.

“No, he asked me to not mention that he had been there to Natsumi or the rest of you. Apparently he wanted to keep it a secret.”

“I can keep a secret,” Natsumi argued, raising her voice.

“I probably couldn’t,” Yuusuke said with a sheepish laugh. “Not if Mr Ichijou asked.”

“I wouldn’t give a crap,” Tsukasa said, looking at the empty cups. “Where’s the coffee?”

“Go get it yourself!” she snapped. “Grandfather is in the bathhouse.”

Tsukasa muttered to himself, but he did peel himself off the chair and saunter over to the kitchen. It was amazing really, Ichijou had to admit that the air had become somehow defused after Natsumi showed up, as if the balance had shifted.

“So who is this Daiki that Godai could want something from him?” Ichijou asked the question carefully, but hadn’t counted on the looks on the young riders’s faces.

“Daiki Kaitou is…” Yuusuke tried to come up with something, but was interrupted by Tsukasa.

“… an ass.” The tall man snorted loudly and sat down with his coffee. He had not poured any for anyone else.

“Technically that’s true,” Natsumi admitted. “But he’s also really good at finding things.”

“So I should just want then.” Ichijou accepted the cup that Natsumi was offering her.

“I think that would be best,” she said with a nod.

“Until then I’ve got so many things to ask!” Yuusuke had got his own mug now, smile wide enough to swallow it whole. “If that’s okay, I mean?”

“It is fine,” Ichijou lied.

He hated talking about his private life, but at least it would keep him from killing Tsukasa, who was making faces at him from behind his cup.

Godai had better come back soon.


End file.
